Stuck for the better
by plavoko12
Summary: After a nearly fatal accident, Aerrow is left to recover on the Blizzarian home terra, Leaving his squad to answer a new mission on there own. But while he's stuck recovering in the house of his fellow squad leader Suzy-lu, maybe he can find that being stuck isn't so bad anyway. Hope the description isn't that bad.
1. Chapter 1: Stuck

"Urgh." Aerrow looked around his room. He held his head and sat up. He felt like vomiting as his mind was filled with fuzzy and clouded memories of the previous night. He tried to stand out of his bed, but quickly wound up on his knees. He coughed as he crawled forward, a freezing cold seeping into his skin. He barely made it to the door, reaching for the handle. The door opened right as he made it there, revealing Piper and Finn, Both of them carrying something.

"Whoa man! You gotta get back in bed!" Finn said with a worried expression as he sat down what looked like a bundle of blankets to the side and lifted Aerrow back to the bed, laying him down back onto his pillow. Aerrow looked up with a tired and confused look.

"W-what h-happened?" he chattered. Piper brought a tray of cocoa and warm toast, setting them down on the nightstand to the side of the bed.

"You and those Blizzarian guys went out for a ride, and your shouting caused an avalanche." Piper said as she gently checked his temperature.

"The others made it out just fine, but we had to dig for you. You'd be dead if it wasn't for Suzy managing to sniff you out. You were barely alive when we found you." Finn finished, laying the blankets over his leader. "You should rest dude. We can take care of any missions that pop up." Finn continued.

Aerrow coughed harshly, nodding in agreement. "You s-sure you're gonna b-be ok without me?" He managed to say. Piper nodded, plopping a straw into the cup of steaming liquid and handed it to Aerrow. Aerrow thanked her and sipped the drink, looking around. He studied the walls for a small time before realizing something. "Hey, where are we?" He said, tilting his head.

"Oh this is Suzy's house. We'd have taken you back to the condor's medical wing, if it weren't for SOMEONE crashing into it trying to land." She said as she crossed her arms and gave Finn a mean look.

Finn just shrugged. "Hey, you gotta admit, it looked pretty cool" He said with his trademark cocky grin.

"Anyway, this was the only place we could keep you, and the only place that was able to keep you alive." Piper said.

Junko burst into the room, panting from running. "Guys! We got an S.O.S from a nearby terra!" He said exasperated.

Piper turned to him and pulled Finn up behind her. "We're on it!" she said in her determined tone, running from the room, giving Aerrow a quick goodbye. Finn exited behind her, but Junko stayed a second, handing Aerrow a familiar figure.

"I figured, if you were gonna stay here, you could at least have Radar to keep you company. Get well soon buddy!" he said as he ran from the room. Aerrow gave a weak grin, smiling at the unbreakable determination of his squadron. Radar whined a bit before curling up and sleeping on Aerrow's chest, helping to heat him up. Aerrow leaned back and sighed while he was scratching behind Radar's ears gently. He was about to drift off to sleep before the door opened again.

In the doorway stood the girl who had saved him, Suzy-lu herself, dressed in snow-camouflage pants and a white tank top. "Heya there." She said with a warm smile, giving a wave and walking in. She sat next to him, looking his injuries over. "You got pretty banged up out there didn'tcha?" She pointed out, looking at the several bandages that encircled his body.

"heh, yeah… I g-guess so." He said. She still kept the warm smile on her face, but Aerrow noticed something in her eyes, something that flickered for a second. Concern? Like, actual worry? No… that couldn't have been it.

"You still chatterin' hun? Here, let me getcha something warmer for ya." She said as she rose and left the room, coming back moments later with her old snowcap. She took the hat and softly slid it over his ears, making his hair hidden. She sat back after she put the hat on him, smiling. "Well there ya go, that'll keep ya nice and warm for the time bein'." She said. She looked at the Puff ball atop the Sky-knight's head, letting out a giggle at the sight of the leader of the Storm Hawks, laying here with the goofy cap on his head.

Aerrow heard her giggle and blushed, grinning weakly. After a moment or two of silence, he finally asked what was on his mind. "Hey, how long am I gonna be in recovery?"

She was quick to answer. "Well, you got both the puncture wounds and the cold shock to your body to recover from. So I'd say several weeks." She wasn't smiling anymore, but instead had a matter-of-fact look. Aerrow's eyes widened. Several weeks? What were the Storm Hawks supposed to do without him for that long? Several thoughts ran through his head. But they all stopped when he felt something on his forehead. He looked up to see Suzy's hand on his head, patting him. She had sensed his worry. "Hey now, don't go stressin' your crew is tough, they can handle themselves just fine. And quite frankly hun, im takin your look as a bit o' offense! It's not like it's gonna be all bad here and trust me, you're not bed-bound for long." She stood and walked to the door and looked over her shoulder, smiling. "And who knows, maybe it'll be fun!" she giggled as she left the room.

Aerrow layed in bed, suddenly feeling a bit more relaxed. "Well, if another squad leader has faith in my crew too… I guess that's something." He said as Radar made some sounds in his sleep. Aerrow laid back more, relaxing his muscles and letting his eyes close. He began to feel himself drift off to sleep. But not before being cut off by another loud noise. "THUMP!"


	2. Chapter 2: The First Awkward Night

Aerrow sat up in bed quickly. He seemed to forget how much pain he was in for a few moment, the curiosity driving him to walk outside of the door into the hallway of Suzy's home. "Uhh… Suzy...?" he called from the doorway, using the walls to keep himself balanced. Radarr scampered beside him, turning his ears to detect any sound. Aerrow felt something touch his shoulder. He twirled around quickly, assuming a fighting stance, Radarr already on his shoulder.

"Whoa there! I didn't mean to startle ya." Suzy stood there with her hands up, half-smiling in a mixture of apology and amusement. "You're jumpy eh?" She asked as she relaxed and crossed her arms. Aerrow rubbed the back of his neck and relaxed a bit too.

"Sorry about that Suzy, I'm just… a bit stressed... What was that noise?" Aerrow asked, eager to change the subject.

Suzy put a finger on her chin, looking up for a second, as if thinking. "Well… I got good news, and I got bad news. Which one do ya want to hear first?" She asked as she blew a bubble, her calm attitude never fading.

Aerrow thought a second for a second before just shrugging and saying "Bad I guess."

"Well, we just got snowed in. That was what ya heard." Suzy said. Aerrow froze for a second. Snowed in? That would mean that his squad would be without him for even LONGER. And that was assuming that they could find a way out of this mess. Suzy took note of Aerrow's silence. "I suppose you'd be wantin' the good news right about now, eh?" Aerrow sighed and nodded. "Well, with the snow blocking us in here, that means we get to spend a bit more time havin fun!" Suzy said as she closed her eyes and smiled. Aerrow would have been surprised at her reaction, if it weren't for that being the Blizzarian way of making the best out of a horrible situation. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Is there any radio contact out of here?" Aerrow asked, his patience slowly slipping. He couldn't tell if it was the pain in his sides, or the cold, but he was growing irritant.

"Err… no… sorry…" Suzy said, noticing the slight edge in Aerrow's words. Aerrow turned and slammed his head into one of the walls in frustration. He bit his tongue and looked back up to Suzy, giving an "are you kidding me?" look. Then he saw something that made him guilty. Suzy had shrunk where she stood, hanging her head down, and holding her ears back at if she were being scolded. She looked up quickly, glancing at Aerrow's eyes for a split second before turning and slowly walking away.

Aerrow stopped her before she got too far. He turned her around by her shoulder, but she still didn't look up. "H-hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be mean to you or anything, I'm just a bit stressed, and that's all."

She slowly looked up, a glint in her eyes, almost as if they had been tearing up. "I just wanted to have fun… play a game or two… talk." She said.

Aerrow looked into her eyes, not believing what he was seeing. Suzy Lu, the leader of the Absolute zeros, one of the most aggressive and happy people he had ever met, tearing up and looking away because of something that HE said? Impossible. That wasn't like her. He and Radarr glimpsed at each other for a second, sharing estranged looks. He looked back to Suzy.

"Are you ok Suzy?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded silently, sniffling and wiping her eyes, to avoid any evidence of weakness. Aerrow just stood there awkwardly, at least before Radarr smacked him upside the back of the head and making a gesture to Suzy. Aerrow took the hint and decided to take action. He gave her a friendly hug, hoping to get the point that she didn't have to feel responsible for his behavior. She accepted the embrace, laying her head on his shoulder for a second. Aerrow froze up a bit, unprepared for her move. "Ermm…"

"Oh!" Suzy lifted her head quickly, pulling out of the hug and covering her face in embarrassment. "Sorry!" She said, shrugging and grinning awkwardly, a bright red blush covering her face.

"Hey, it's fine. I just didn't' expect it, that's all." He said, Radarr standing in a nearby doorway, snickering at him. Aerrow shot a joking glare at him, sneezing directly after. He wiped his nose and sniffled. "Err, Suzy, I don't suppose there's any warm water coming through the pipes right?" He asked, chattering slightly.

Suzy nodded. "Actually, yeah there is. Second door on the left should take ya to the shower." She said, pointing to the door.

"T-thanks." Aerrow managed to walk to the bathroom, without using anything to keep him up. He opened the door and walked in, Suzy leaving the hallway to do something else. He was greeted with the basic array of a toilet beside a sink and a shower. He glanced over the counter of the sink, setting the cap she had given him down on top of it. He stripped himself of his uniform and entered the shower, turning the water dials to a warm temperature. He stood in solace as the warm water seemed to relax his muscles, loosening him. The bandages that wrapped around his waist and chest were thankfully waterproof, the water running off of his body with ease. He stayed in the shower for a few more minutes, allowing his core temperature to rise, and his chattering to cease. He hoped the warmth would last. Aerrow stepped out of the shower, checking under the sink for a towel. He pulled out what was quite possibly the brightest pink piece of cloth he had ever seen. As Aerrow toweled off, there was a knock at the door. He wrapped the towel around his waist. "Hold on a second, just finishing up." Aerrow said, wiping his hair and face. The knock came again. He reached for the handle. "Alright, I'm coming geeze, calm dow- Whoa!" He slipped on a puddle of water, sliding forward out of the door face first. He made impact with something that went to the ground with him.

Aerrow heard a startled "Meep!" As he landed. He was dazed for a second, before realizing just what, or who, he had landed on. He looked down to see Suzy underneath him, blushing with her ears in an alarmed pose. His hand went to the towel at his waist, ensuring it was still there. The silence that lingered was murder, and the two were frozen in shock for a moment as well, their eyes locked. Suzy was the first to speak. "Uhh… you mind… getting off me?" She said as she embarrassedly looked up at him. Aerrow nodded quickly, standing up as fast as he could, holding out a hand to help Suzy up while he held his towel in place with the other. Suzy took his hand and lifted herself up, her blush still visible underneath her fur. She pointed down the hall towards the living room. "I uh, lit the fire place. You can go there when you finish… changing…" She said, not looking at his eyes, but at his chest instead. She had to rip her gaze from his freshly cleaned body, walking awkwardly away towards the living room, biting her lip.

Aerrow sighed and dragged his hand over his face. "This is gonna be a long stay." He said to himself as he slid into a change of clothes that Suzy had laid out for him, which consisted of a mechanic's tank-top and some sweatpants. He emerged from the room, beginning to make his way to the living room. He turned the corner to find that Radarr and Suzy where playing at a folding card table, which was set amidst a mass of blankets and pillows. Aerrow sat by the two as they both set down their hands, showing their cards. Suzy crossed her arms and let out an annoyed "humph" as Radarr happily collected the chips. "I don't know how you're doin' this ya little hoser, but I'm gonna beat you, just wait." She said as she shot Radarr an annoyed look. Radarr shrugged, counting the chips. Aerrow chuckled and wrapped himself in a blanket. Suzy slid away from her card game, pulling herself beside Aerrow, the two sitting in front of the fire. This time it was Aerrow's turn to break the silence.

"Hey… err… sorry about tripping onto you in the hallway." He said, still looking into the fire.

"I-it's fine, was a shock though." She said. She shrunk a bit in her place. "Sorry for getting in yer way." She said as she covered her face. Aerrow put a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault, I was just careless. Besides, I should have made sure it was safe to step." Aerrow smiled weakly, assuring her that she was innocent in the matter. He felt her relax at his touch. He laid back onto the pile of pillows and blankets.

"Hey, why did you move all the blankets and stuff out here?" He asked in wonder.

"Well, if we're gonna stay warm, we need to share heat. So, if we all sleep in the same room, we should be good. And when it comes to sharing heat, the closer the better." She said in a factual tone.

Aerrow gave a funny look. "So we would essentially have to cuddl- err… I mean huddle!" He said, blushing slightly.

Suzy giggled. "I wouldn't mind cuddling." She said under her breath.

"What was that?" Aerrow asked.

"I said yes, we would have to huddle." She lied, edging herself closer to him.

"O-ok then." Aerrow said with a nervous smile as he laid on his back, trying to play it cool. Suzy followed, laying down next to him with her back to him. Aerrow looked to where Radarr had been, seeing that Radarr had passed out on the card table, snoring quietly. He looked back to Suzy, who was already starting to drift off to sleep.

"Gnight Aerrow." She said quietly as she conked out and began to sleep. Aerrow smiled and sighed as his eyelids became heavy. Before he fell asleep, Suzy rolled in her sleep, turning and putting her head and one of her hands on his chest, fanning him with soft, delicate breaths. Aerrow hesitantly put an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. The last thing that He saw before he faded off to sleep, was Suzy Smile in her sleep.

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Hey Readers! I'm actually surprised at how many people liked this story 0-0 But, I appreciate the Kind comments very much. I'm sorry this took forever, I've been under a lot of work lately. I'll Get on the next chapter ASAP! Love all of ya! –plavoko12


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